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English

Curriculum Leaders:

Mr S Attwood
Ms N Stevens

Subject Teachers:

  • Mr S Attwood
  • Ms N Stevens
  • Ms D Anderson
  • Ms S Fitzgerald
  • Ms C Richards
  • Ms A Sansbury
  • Ms Celino
  • Mr M Rothwell
  • Ms C Danks
  • Ms L Reynolds
  • Ms S Rahman

 

Language is the means of getting an idea from my brain into yours without surgery

 - Mark Amidon

Overall Purpose of the Subject - Summary:

To inspire students to become literate, confident communicators and critical thinkers. To explore a wide range of texts, classic and modern, fiction and non-fiction, where writers, throughout the ages, have used different forms of writing to explore questions of human existence.

Course Outline and Structure - Key Stage 3

Year 7

'There are Stranger Things...'

Year 7 are introduced to key reading skills using ‘The Cabinet of Curiosities’ (Bachmann et al), a collection of short stories with a twist.  Students continue to practice these key skills as they study fictional texts including ‘A Christmas Carol’ (Dickens), ‘Northern Lights’ (Pullman) and different versions of popular fairy tales.  They study non-fiction writing through accounts of travels undertaken by female explorers.  As well as developing their approaches to reading, students will apply what they have learned in their own pieces of creative writing and factual writing, and complete an extended homework research project linked with travel writing.  Students also begin to learn how to write critically when analyzing texts. 

Year 8

Outsiders

Year 8 build on the previous year with a focus on the writer’s craft: they study short stories from ’Tales of the Unexpected’ (Dahl),‘The Speckled Band’ (Conan Doyle),‘The Tempest’ (Shakespeare) and ‘The Island at the End of Everything’(Millwood Hargrave) to explore how fiction writers utilise characterisation, setting and structure (amongst other things) to achieve the effects they desire. Year 8 students complete an extended homework research project on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes. 

Students also explore a wide range of non-fiction extracts and speeches on topical real-life issues – again focusing on how writers(and speakers) choose specific language and structural methods to give their opinions impact. In addition, they develop their oracy skills through poetry and speeches. 

Year 8 continue to apply what they’ve learnt in their own writing, be it creative writing, opinion writing or critical essay writing. 

Year 9

The Darkness Within

Year 9 consolidate the study of the reading, writing and speaking skills they will need when they begin the GCSE course in Year 10. 

Students are also immersed in nineteenth century prose (as will be required in the GCSE) where they explore and analyse the Gothic genre through extracts from classics like ’Dracula’ (Stoker), ’Frankenstein’ (Shelley) and ’The Woman in Black’ (Hill), as well as short stories like ’The Red Room’ (Wells) and ’The Tell-Tale Heart’ (Poe).  Students apply their knowledge of the Gothic genre to creative writing.   

The study of ’Of Mice and Men’ (Steinbeck) explores important aspects of the writer’s craft and also underlines the importance of wider societal themes like exploitation, racism and the role of women. 

Students are introduced to strategies for approaching poetry (particularly metaphors, symbols, feelings evoked and personal response) through a select of poems on the themes of power and conflict.  The approach is consciously chosen to give skills they need for study of both the Anthology and response to unseen poems at GCSE. .  

Students become familiar with the plot, characters and themes of ’Macbeth’ (Shakespeare) while completing an extended homework research project on Shakespeare’s life and times.  ‘Macbeth’ is then used as a stimulus for a variety of written transactional tasks.

Course Outline and Structure - Key Stage 4

Exam Board:  AQA

All students sit the English Language GCSE, English Literature GCSE and undertake the Spoken Language Endorsement.

In Year 10, students study two of their set texts for Literature, ‘An Inspector Calls’ by J.B. Priestley and ‘Macbeth’ by William Shakespeare, and begin their exploration of ‘Poems Past and Present: Power and Conflict’ (various poems linked by theme).

Students also practise the skills for both English Language papers and prepare a speech for their Spoken Language Endorsement on an issue or topic that has been agreed with their teacher.  There are formal Mock exams in June.

In Year 11, students read ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, complete their study of the fifteen poems in ‘Poems Past and Present: Power and Conflict’ and practise analysis of unseen poetry.  They continue to practise the skills necessary for both English Language papers and are focused increasingly on applying their knowledge and skills in practice exam questions. 

There are formal Mock exams in November and February, prior to the GCSE  exams in May and June.

Assessment Method - Key Stage 4

English Language – Graded 1 to 9

Paper 1

Explorations in creative reading and writing

(1 hour 45 minutes)

Reading skills (50%): students are marked for comprehension, analysis and evaluation of an unseen fiction extract.

Writing skills (50%): students plan and undertake a creative writing task where marks are awarded for content, organisation and accuracy.

Paper 2

Writers’ viewpoints and perspectives

(1 hour 45 minutes)

Reading skills (50%): students are marked for comprehension, summary, analysis and comparison of two unseen non-fiction extracts on a linked theme.

Writing skills (50%): students plan and undertake a transactional writing task (usually arguing a particular point of view on an issue inspired by the unseen exam extracts) where marks are awarded for content, organisation and accuracy.

English Literature – Graded 1 to 9

Paper 1

Shakespeare and the 19th Century novel

(1 hour 45 minutes)

Students write two critical essays:  one on Macbeth,  the other on Jekyll and Hyde. The exam questions contain an extract from each text as stimulus for the overall question.

Paper 2

Modern Texts and Poetry

(2 hours 15 minutes)

Students write two critical essays: one on An Inspector Calls, the other on the Power and Conflict Poetry.

Students additionally analyse and compare two Unseen Poems linked by a common theme or idea.

Spoken Language Endorsement – Grade Pass, Merit, Distinction

Students deliver  a speech or presentation of 4 to 5 minutes on an issue or topic which has been pre-agreed.   There follows a four to five minute discussion where the student responds to comments arising from their speech.

Extra-Curricular Activities / Clubs:

Opportunities to see live performances/films linked to the set texts.

Hampshire Book Award.

Poetry/Fiction writing competitions.